Among your other New Year’s resolutions where does Bible-reading fall in terms of importance? Hopefully nourishing your spirit with the divine truth of God’s Word tops the list!

This year I’ll be using a simple strategy for staying consistent in my Bible reading. I like check marks; there’s something gratifying about having a list of tasks and being able to check them off as they’re completed–it gives one a sense of accomplishment at the end of the day. While God certainly doesn’t want us to view Bible reading as a menial task like paying bills, washing the car, or folding laundry, if you’re like me maybe a checklist approach would be a helpful tool in disciplining yourself to do something honoring to God and immensely beneficial to your soul.

With 1189 chapters in the Bible, reading just 3 1/4 chapters per day will get you through the whole Bible in a year. But, because Bible chapters are generally quite short compared to chapters in other books, this year I’m rounding up to 4 chapters per day. This means it will only take me 297 days (instead of 365) to read the whole Bible. I like this approach because I’m imperfect, inconsistent, and, well, stuff just happens, and I don’t always get all of my daily Bible reading done. This method gives me lots of catch-up days should I not get all four chapters read each day. Shoot me an email at averydarin@gmail.com and I’ll send you a copy of my reading check-list. Another benefit to this plan is that I can read any four chapters I want on any given day: I can read four chapters sequentially if I’m really wanting to stay in a particular book, or I can read four chapters from four different parts of the Bible. No matter where or what I read, as long as I read four chapters each day I’ll stay on schedule. To keep track of what I read each day I make a little note in my journal (e.g., January 1: Genesis 1-3, John 1).

Like I said, you may not be wired like me, and my system might not work for you; in fact, in a few months I may discover it doesn’t work very well for me either! There are all kinds of tools to help us be disciplined in our intake of Scripture. Here’s the link to a helpful article containing all kinds of useful reading plans and ideas. The point is not making check marks–or even getting the whole Bible read in a year. The point is Psalm 119:11 (“I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you.”) and 1 Timothy 4:7 (“Have nothing to do with irreverent, silly myths. Rather train yourself for godliness.”)

Not sinning against a loving and Holy God by being disciplined, godly, people: that’s what God wants, and that’s why we read God’s Word!